[Lovepical-Poppy!] Manage a dormitory and run a cafe, but it's not just a romance game! With over 20 girls, who you get close to is up to you! The brand's 15th-anniversary game, Lovepical-Poppy!, is now on Switch!
[Lovepical-Poppy!] Manage a dormitory and run a cafe, but it's not just a romance game! With over 20 girls, who you get close to is up to you! The brand's 15th-anniversary game, Lovepical-Poppy!, is now on Switch!
2026-02-15
[Lovepical-Poppy!] Manage a dormitory and run a cafe,
but it's not just a romance game!
With over 20 girls, who you get close to is up to you!
The brand's 15th-anniversary game, Lovepical-Poppy!,
is now on Switch!
At first glance, it seems like a work set in a girls' dormitory, but a major feature of this game is that it easily transcends that framework; while it has the setting of the protagonist serving as a dorm mother and taking care of daily needs, the heart of the story is a ”sweet rom-com space filled with daily love and slapstick,” and the structure where dormitory life and work at the crepe cafe switch back and forth with good tempo like two different stages—allowing you to interact with heroines who show different sides of themselves in each—constantly throws events at the player so they never get bored, creating a mysterious charm where you might even find yourself under the illusion that you have become a member of this communal life beyond the screen.
Because the protagonist is a live-in dorm mother, they are placed in an environment where they inevitably have contact with someone's daily life, from making breakfast to preparing baths, and the design where this accumulation directly leads to the trust and affection of the heroines is exquisite; although the tasks themselves are just ordinary daily routines, the meaning of the same events changes as the relationship deepens, allowing a natural drama to dwell within the daily interactions. With nearly 20 girls living in the dormitory, there are moments everywhere where even a small greeting can set the relationship in motion, and even while labeled as a ”dormitory story,” its density as a dating simulation is firmly established, which is the secret mechanism that draws players in.
Working at the crepe cafe attached to the first floor of the dormitory has a different atmosphere from the dorm itself; as a place for collaborative work where the protagonist sweats alongside the dorm residents while watching them work in cute uniforms, relationships built on a strong ”bond as colleagues” are forged here, and it is interesting to catch glimpses of sides of the heroines that differ from those shown in the dormitory; the structure where cafe conversations and small troubles lead to romance is simple yet functions effectively as a device to stir the player's emotions. It can be said that a major charm of this game is how relationships appear three-dimensional due to the dual nature of the dormitory and the cafe.
The girls who appear all have strong quirks, making them highly memorable characters; from a curvaceous girl who seems to know about the protagonist's past, to a younger sister with an introverted personality who struggles with group life, a heroine with a complex regarding the need for approval, a dorm leader with a mix of childishness and responsibility, a gal who is as bright as springtime both inside and out, and a mature woman tired of life—the diversity is such that it seems like a miracle they are all in the same dorm—and the charm lies in how the story shows a different face no matter who you focus on; because the process of each girl changing through their interaction with the protagonist is depicted very carefully, the depth of this work comes from being able to enjoy not just the romance elements but also the ”fun of watching them grow.”
Since the story begins from the desperate situation where the protagonist's house is lost in a fire, their sister is sent to a school dormitory, and they are unemployed, the reason for jumping at the job of a ”live-in dorm mother” in the first choice is convincing, and from there, the protagonist's perspective—accumulating confusion, surprise, and joy while being busy with work at the dorm and cafe—is very natural, allowing the game to unfold in a way that makes it easy for players to empathize with him. The flow where the protagonist, who dove into a new environment full of anxiety, finds himself relied upon and thanked by the residents, eventually leading to romance, is depicted carefully despite being a classic trope, creating a comfortable sense of immersion the further you read.
The greatest charm of this game is the very structure where the accumulation of daily life leads directly to romance; it shines in how daily trivial interactions naturally direct the deepening of relationships rather than just being about completing events, and the closeness utilizing the position of a dorm mother in particular has a unique appeal that cannot be tasted in other romance games. Through the various emotions shown by the heroines and the protagonist's response to them, players are made aware of the warmth and intimacy behind the act of ”taking care of someone,” and an experience that could be called the ideal form of a romance game expands as the characters become more dear to you the further the story progresses.
Lovepical-Poppy!
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